Synthwork

Backstreet's Back, Allright!

That's right. The Back Street Boys are back. Truly.

Things have been pretty quiet here lately. But, breaking the silence, here's some exciting news. Thanks to some surprising zeitgeist, I'm putting together a 90's megamix of tracks I enjoyed, back when I was actually living in the 90's. I've got some really great tracks, ones that I remember from the times. My project is to make them fit together somehow and present it here as the 10th Friday Mix Club. I also think this will be the end of the Friday Mix Club. I started the project as a fun way to spend my Fridays before heading out to hang with friends. However, since then my life has changed dramatically and I won't really be able to continue this project. I'm starting my masters program in a week and doubt I'll be able to continue this. That doesn't mean I'll stop mixing, but I think the particular idea behind this series is coming to an end. In the mean time, feel free to go back and listen to all the past episodes here. Hit me up if you'd like me to post the episodes as downloads.

Hopefully I will finally get to working on posting some thoughts on releases I've been enjoying recently. Thanks to my position with LWE, I've been receiving hoards and hoards of promos. When this month's chart goes live I'll be posting that here. I'll also begin to post links to my weekly column. All in all, this blog is getting flabby and needs to shape up.

Anyways, stay tuned as I should have the mix up by Friday. More news then!

Not Your Average Friday (FMC # 9)

Here's something a little different. I recently got a heap of soul and early funk music from a friend. These tracks are great on their own, but I was also hoping to wade through them for loops and samples to use in mixing. Since I have a lots of time on my hands these days, this mix became a great little project. After listening to LOTS of tracks, and teasing and picking, I came out with a handful of loops and snippets. Then came the mix, which is also a little different from what I usually spin. Consisting mostly of house tracks I've acquired through promos and such, mixed up with the soul samples and at a more leisurely pace combines to makes something a little different than what usually pops up.

Not Your Average Friday (Fmc #9) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

Catching Up

My my my, this blog was starting to feel a bit neglected. I've been using this blog to post my mix series, which has also started to feel a bit neglected. I've finally stopped working at the hardware warehouse that employed me for the previous 6 months, and am now taking some much needed time off before I start taking classes in September. My goal in the little time I have left before then is to get back on my mix series, which is for selfish reasons, a way of documenting my personal progress. I've still been mixing whenever I get a free minute, but just haven't been hitting the record button.

As for this blog, I will continue to post mixes as I make them. But I also would like to clue in on what I'm listening to, share thoughts and generally use this blog to improve more than my mixing. I've been doing some work for the music blog www.littlewhiteearbuds.com and need to work on honing my writing. I think I've gotten a bit sloppy after working for another website doing tech reviews.

Summing this post up, this is a sort of resolution post, I realize it's not New Years, but it's never too late for a little self improvement.

And as a final note, here's a mix I posted all over Facebook, but it never made it to here. In an effort to keep all my ducks in a row, I'm posting it now.

At The End Of The Night (Fmc #8) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

Where's Detroit? (FMC # 7)

Here's the next addition to the Friday Mix Club Series. This mix is a blend between techno, dubstep, uk funky and some other little tidbits thrown in for good measure. Please enjoy!

Where's Detroit? (Fmc #7) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

House Trip (FMC #6)

Welcome back dear listeners. Here's the sixth installment of the Friday Mix Club. I took a little time off, but should be back on the train. This mix was a lot of fun to make, essentially a second try at a mix I made earlier in the week. Also, with this mix I tried something new, starting the mix slower and ending faster, if that makes sense. We start with a house tempo and inch up to techno. Also, some tracks used are thanks to my new position with Little White Earbuds.

Also, the picture was taken in our "backyard". I love the bent wire sun in the picture and wanted to share it.

Hope you enjoy!

House Trip (Fmc #6) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

FMC #5 Get the Lead Out

Remember when the times were fast and furious, sweaty basements and dim lights? Remember the rock and roll?

Friday Mix Club turns 5 today. To celebrate, we've thrown out the mixers and bought guitars. About 29 minutes worth of guitars. They're on lone till the morning so we might as well get our money's worth.

ps. there's no tracklist for this baby. but i think you'll recognize some of the songs.

Get The Lead Out by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

Friday Mix Club #4

Here's the 4th entry into the Friday Mix Club. Went with a drum and bass selection, at 170bpm to shake things up. Lots of fun and tasty tunes. Hope you enjoy.

Don't Forget Your Drums And Bass (Fmc #4) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

FMC #3 The El Camino

Here, take the keys and give it a spin around the block. The El Camino. Mixed and presented, 10 tracks of twisted beats and wonkification, ranging from hip-hop to dubstep. Head bobbing not required, but highly suggested.

Enjoy.

The El Camino (Fmc #3) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

FMC #2

Here's the newest addition to the Friday Mix Club!

Enjoy the mix. And tune in next week for some dirty digital beats.

Spring Thumper (Fmc #2) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

The Great OBRX Returns - Friday Mix Club 01

Hello and salutations! Here's the first Friday Mix Club entry, The Great OBRX Returns - Friday Mix Club 01.

The title refers to the first song I used. It's a song I composed back in high school, but for some reason, when I slowed it down a bunch and stuck it with the second track it worked pretty well. The guise I wrote under was obviously OBRX.

Hope you enjoy what I wrassled up. Nothing too dancy, but good for listening for sure. I snuck some great tunes in there. Listen up and enjoy. This mix also completments the weather here in Portland today, kinda cold and wet. Let me know what you think? Do your listening choices reflect your surroundings? or weather? Mine do, absolutely.

Anyways, hope you enjoy. Be sure to check in next week for 002.

The Great Obrx Returns by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

The Friday Mix Club

The Friday Mix Club, the great Portland experiment.

This mix came because I heard a song that really sounded perfect to build a mix around. So, voila. Here it is.

This mix is tied to the Facebook group with the same name. I'm going to try to put out a mix weekly. Since this is the first mix, it comes on a Wednesday. Keep in mind that we are all growing together in this, let's have some fun and groove to some tunes.

A few words about this mix:

I literally was listening to my iPod on my way to work this morning and heard one of the songs on the mix, and which instantly set my brains to working. I built up the mix around this song, grabbing tunes from my library and from around, new and old. I had a lot of fun making this mix and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Ihssmajams-Beatmix6 by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

Another Friday, Another Mix

Another week down, another mix up. Enjoy.

That's right. It's a cat dj.

Weekend Adventure? by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

Beatmix 5 (Clouds and Beats)

In anticipation of Friday, and a fresh new weekend, here's a little something I cooked up to share.

Hope you enjoy!

Beatmix 5 (Clouds And Beats) by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

i'm new here

I had never heard of this man before. But i had heard of his poem, the revolution will not be televised. his new album drops next week and I'm eagerly anticipating its arrival. from what I have heard, I like quite a bit. So i figured i'd share something to let you hear it too.

Dance it up Discokid!

This mix has been bubbling up for a couple weeks or so. Finally last night I went for it and recorded this fine mix! It's got a little something for everybody. This was great for drinking a little beer and getting ready to go out to the Goodfoot. The sweaty hot Goodfoot, to get down and shake it.

Dance It Up Discokid by Coastmusic on Mixcloud

This mix features:

Adele

Flying Lotus

Aaliyah

Cansei de ser Sexy

Glass Candy

Professor Genius

Neon Neon

Blondie

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

The Hood Internet

Moderat

Justice

Tobacco

Tears for Fears

Siriusmo

LCD Soundsystem

Kanye West

Cold Cave

DJ Mujava

Mix CD Party!

This has happened before, but the handmade mix is a majestic thing. This time, a party is going to be thrown where the price of admission is a mix CD for your friends. The theme is an acoustic thesis of yourself. Everyone must make a CD, then copy it for everyone else who is making CDs. Make a mix that sums yourself up in 19 tracks or so. I love these kinds of things, I used to be hopped up on writing about this subject, but now I find relying on the music I enjoyed a better exercise.GREAT STUFF!

On the first pass through my iTunes library I had 2:33 min of music. Waaaaay too much for a CD. Now I'm parsing down what I have and assembling it into a chronological order. From there I figure I'll reassemble it into mix cd form, breaking up congruent sounds and tracks. The hardest part is paring down the songs that mean something, to the songs that are absolutely essential. It's a great memory exercise.

But what I really want to emphasize is two points.

1) This exercise is fabulous like a scrapbook. I know that my music library has music ranging from junior high up to my current listening habits. I frequently have to delete old music to make room for the new music, but what has remained after three laptop upgrades is the good stuff. Therefore, this mix CD goes from 8th grade all the way up until today. Its fun to see where I was when I first listened to these songs, where I rediscovered them, the context of my listening to these songs, the people that influenced my listening habits etc. I really enjoy all the layered memories. It's like an onion, according to some ogre.

2) If I make a cd, invariably, people will recognize some of the songs. The great part, is when they recognize them, they immediately place them in their own personal context. Thus, my context and the listener's context are superimposed into a strange cocktail of memories. I LOVE the idea of sharing this audio scrapbook. Sharing these memories, which the listener won't have any idea aside from a few brief liner notes, of where I stand in regards to the selection aside from chonology. But when they listen, they will superimpose their own memories and experiences into the experience. "Oh I remember listening to that track back when I was...." Example, what are your memories for the song Everybody by the Backstreet Boys. If you're playing along, that song alone should bring up a plethora of memories and experiences. Let's combine those memories and experiences and you have a tapestry of human experience. I hope that my excitement is universal for really tapping into that kind of combined human living.

To leave you, a music video of another song that was a large moment for me personally. This song heralded my return to dance music after a loooong hiatus. Plus it's a pretty good music video. So enjoy, and perhaps keep an ear to the ground, if I get a chance, I might try to post my mix here if I can figure out the necessary sharing technology.

Cheers!